The Clarity of Assumption
by mindpaper
Summary: Watanuki meets Himawari early one day to find that Doumeki is absent from school. Takes place at an undefined time after Volume 10 of the manga, so if you haven't read that far, please read at your own risk. A Douwata fanfic.
1. Chapter 1 Without a doubt in my mind

The Clarity of Assumption

An XXXholic fanfiction

Written by mindpaper

Chase after truth like hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coat-tails.

-Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)

This takes place during an undefined time in xxxHolic, after Watanuki's accident in volume 10 of the manga. Spoileriffic, so if you haven't read that far then please read at your own risk.

This also is a Douwata fanfiction, so if you are not a fan of the pairing, please read it with a grain of salt.

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Chapter 1: Without a doubt in my mind

* * *

"Himawari-chaaaan!"

A young girl with lush, curled black hair turned to the approaching young man and smiled brightly. The bright yellow bird on her shoulder chirruped cheerfully. "Ah, Watanuki-kun! You're here early!"

Kimihiro Watanuki waved energetically until he reached her side, out of breath. "Yeah—I figured that today, I would have to catch you early in order to give you bento—since you have class rep meetings during lunch hour. So I got up early, so I could see you and Tanpopo!" He smiled at the bird, who chirruped happily.

Suddenly, Watanuki's happy smile turned sour. "I ALSO had to get up early because of that jerk Doumeki and his inhuman demands. Seriously, who asks for fire-baked yams in the middle of spring? It's a winter food! I had to go outside and light a fire in the front yard after digging around for as many leaves as I could find—all the tenants were looking at me funny." He scowled as Himawari began to giggle. "He just wants to get a rise out of me. Honestly."

"But I like that about you two," Himawari smiled as Watanuki facefaulted. "It's so cute. But I guess there's no chance of it happening today…"

Watanuki gave her one of his familiar blank stares. "Huh? What do you mean?"

They began walking towards the front doors of the school building. "Doumeki-kun hasn't shown up yet. Usually he's here before I am, since he's an early riser. But if he hasn't come by now…" she frowned a little. "I'm pretty sure he must be preoccupied in some way."

Watanuki looked down at the bento he was carrying. "Preoccupied… huh…? It's not like him to not tell you in advance."

Himawari turned to face him. "Exactly. I suspect that he must be busy… or sick."

He laughed. "Whaaaat? Are you serious? I doubt it. That guy… that guy couldn't get sick." He watched as Himawari reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a small cracker, and began feeding it to a slightly antsy Tanpopo. "That just doesn't happen to a guy like him."

"Well, why couldn't he? Everyone does, once in while."

"But it's spring! We've been outside all season, and have been so busy at school—I can't think of any reason why he would be sick!"

Himawari watched Tanpopo finish the cracker, and gave Watanuki a serious look. "You're probably right. He lives a very healthy lifestyle…"

Watanuki looked at the ground. "Well…but… recently, he's been through a lot, hasn't he?" Himawari's expression softened.

It had only been a few weeks since Watanuki had fully recovered from his injuries. After that incident, Yuuko-san had restored him to his former state of health—but only after his two friends—Himawari and Doumeki-- had paid her with intense sacrifices. He was not to know what Himawari had done to save his life—Himawari herself forbade Yuuko-san from telling him. But Doumeki… had given him his blood. Equal to the amount that he had lost in the incident, which apparently was quite a bit. According to Yuuko, it had weakened Doumeki for several days. Even earlier than that, Doumeki had given him half of his own right eye, because Watanuki had lost his.

That jerk… making so many sacrifices for him…

"Watanuki-kun, it has been weeks since then…" Himawari said softly, touching his arm. "I doubt that it had anything to do with this."

Watanuki smiled slightly. "R..right. After all, this is that tenacious guy we are talking about." Noticing her worried expression, he made a nonchalant motion with his hand. "He's probably at home, helping out with the temple. I wouldn't worry about it, Himawari-chan. More importantly…" he lifted the large bento, wrapped with a furoshiki, and took out a smaller box. "Take this! I made croquettes this time."

Himawari put down her bag and took the box with both hands. "Thanks so much, Watanuki-kun! I look forward to your bento so much each day—my classmates will be very jealous of my lunch!" She flashed her joyous smile at him, which had the potential to render him unconscious with the sheer energy she exuded. But surprisingly he stood firm, unaffected.

"I'd better get to class, then! See you, Watanuki-kun…" she waved as opened the door to the main building. "Ah, I almost forgot! I'm so sorry, but I have to go home later today—I know you have work, so please go ahead without me today."

Watanuki smiled. "I will! Thanks for letting me know." He watched her wave one last time before disappearing behind the swinging doors. Gripping the furoshiki tightly, his smile faded. "Sick… huh…" he muttered to himself. "That jerk… it's impossible. I should just forget about it—he'll probably show up for lunch at the usual spot."

Lunchtime came, and Watanuki waited on the steps of the auditorium. The minutes flew by unnoticed, and only in the last few minutes of the break did he realize that Doumeki hadn't come. He tried to eat quickly, but wasn't feeling very hungry. The rest of the day crawled by. Feeling antsy during class, he excused himself for a bathroom break. While walking in the hall, he passed by the adjacent class—the one Doumeki was in during this period. As he passed the door, he suddenly had a thought—why not do a little peeking to see if that jerk had shown up? He usually sat closest to the outside window in the back row. He cast a sideways glance as he strode past the window, scanning for the tall, golden-eyed stoic. But all he saw was a row of students that he didn't recognize, and an empty seat.

Wait… an empty seat?!

He looked forward again in consternation. He was absent, after all. Jeez, that moron… what was he up to? Where was he? He hadn't mentioned that he would be absent any time this week—last time he was absent from school, his family was visiting extended family in a different province, so he took a day off. This was a Friday—it wasn't impossible that he went on another family trip. He scoffed to himself. What was he so worried about? He shouldn't worry—he'd probably show up on Monday and say, "I was on another family trip, blah blah blah. Why, did you want to come too?" He frowned in pre-determined anger. He had the worst attitude…

…But even with that bad attitude, he was always really good about telling them where he was. He would have mentioned something, at least…

Watanuki shook his head. He had to stop thinking about it. Why should he care…? Nothing fazed that guy. Even if he was sick, he'd be able to take care of himself... and his family would take care of him too. He had nothing to worry about.

Absolutely nothing to worry about.

* * *

_Thanks very much for reading! Chapter 2 to follow._

_Translations and insiders_

_Bento- a Japanese-style lunchbox that developed as early as the Kamakura period (1185-1333). Usually consists of a 4:3:2:1 ratio- 4 part rice, 3 part sidedish (meat or main course), 2 part vegetables, and 1 part pickles or dessert. It is considered a great skill to be good at making bento, especially amongst housewives. Good thing Watanuki knows his stuff, huh? He makes a great housemaid._

_Furoshiki- a simple piece of cloth that is used to tie up a bento box for easy transport. Watanuki always carries one with him when he travels with his famous packed lunches._

_Croquette- a potato patty that has been battered and fried. Usually spiced with a variety of things, and is a favorite in bento._

_Baked yams- yams are usually baked as a snack in winter or fall, by lighting dead leaves that have fallen from the trees. One wraps the yam in a covering (usually aluminum foil) and buries it in a pile of smoldering leaves._

_copyright mindpaper 2007_


	2. Chapter 2 Cloudy premonitions, as usual

The Clarity of Assumption

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Chapter 2: Cloudy premonitions, as usual

* * *

Yuuko cocked an eyebrow.

Mokona cocked an eye muscle.

Maru and Moro danced around the two. "Poker Poker make a face" they chimed in bell-like unison.

"You may think you have the best of me, Mokona," Yuuko said slyly, tapping a finger on her cheek. "But I suspect that you are underestimating me."

Mokona smiled cheekily. "Don't count those chickens before they hatch. I am a magical being—what you see is not always what you get."

Yuuko leaned in closer. "Then you won't mind if I blow you away with a little bit of this magic—al hand, then."

Mokona grinned even more widely. "Your move, sister! Talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"

"I had no idea that Poker ever got this noisy."

The two turned abruptly to see Watanuki coming down the walkway of Yuuko's shop. "Watanuki! Poker isn't about cards alone—it's about bluffing," Mokona huffed angrily.

Yuuko glared at him. "You just ruined an important moment! It was the end of the verbal joust—we were supposed to make terrible puns and then, after a dramatic stare, slap our hands on the table and end the game!"

Maru and Moro sat crosslegged on the deck floor, swaying back and forth. "End the game, end the game Bluff until you end the game"

Watanuki grimaced. "Save the puns, please. I don't know if I can take it. But please, go ahead and end your—"

"I'm expecting a full house tonight," Yuuko interrupted, staring daggers at Mokona's impassive face. "But after all that sake, I suspect that I will be royally flushed."

Watanuki flinched.

"Well I'm looking straight ahead," Mokona retorted. "And all I see is an ace-ceptable jack-et of queen-tessential, wor-king lies."

"Aaaagh," Watanuki groaned, holding his head. "M… my brain… it hurts…"

The two stared at each other dramatically, and suddenly, slapped their hands down on the table in front of them.

Watanuki stared down, curiously. A full house, and a royal flush.

"This, my friend," Yuuko said smugly, watching Mokona writhe in frustration, "is what they call 'hitsuzen.'"

"It's not fair," Mokona sniffed as he watched Yuuko gather his chips. "Playing against a time-space witch is always a bad idea."

"Oh come now, Mokona," Yuuko said cheerily. "It's just your chance to slay Watanuki with those bad puns. Bluffing is the fun part." Yuuko glanced down at Watanuki's twitching form at the base of the steps. "Speaking of which…"

Watanuki looked up, wearily. "Eh? What?"

Standing up, Yuuko walked to the steps and extended her hand. "How was school today, Watanuki?"

Watanuki hesitated a moment, and then took her hand. Standing up, he let her lead him up onto the deck. "It was fine. Nothing new."

Yuuko looked down at the furoshiki in his other hand. "You have quite a bit of extra today. Am I wrong in thinking you were…" her eyes glinted slightly. "Saving some for Mokona and I?"

"…What? Oh, uhm… yes." Watanuki smiled absently, holding up the colorful cloth bag. "You should eat it, before it goes bad…"

"Look at you!" Yuuko scolded him, waggling her finger. "Offering me leftovers! As if you can't cook me some more in the next few hours of daylight!"

"W…what?" Watanuki stared at her blankly.

"I didn't eat lunch today, you know." Yuuko smiled mysteriously. Watanuki felt a little chill go down his back. She wore the same smile she showed him so often—as if she knew something that he didn't. And also because… he suspected that she was going to ask him to cook something impossible for her.

"Hmm…." She tapped her head again, as if thinking hard. "I suppose… some okonomiyaki will do. Maybe… over some yakisoba. Like a modern-yaki!"

"EHHH?! What… okonomiyaki? I've never made it before—and what the hell is a modern-yaki?!"

Yuuko grinned mischievously. "And some umeshu. I love umeshu with snack food—it's so sweet!"

Watanuki sighed heavily. Although he might try, he could not resist the charms of the mysterious, beautiful woman, in the end. After all—she had influenced him so much. After he began working for her on that fateful day a year ago, his life had turned upside down. In good ways, and in bad ways—but all extremely important ways. And he would not give that up for the world.

"I understand… I'll try," he gritted as Yuuko and Mokona cheered, and Maru and Moro eased the apron onto his person. "But I can't guarantee that it'll come out well… it is my first time making it, you know."

"I don't have a doubt," Yuuko smiled, "That it will be delicious."

* * *

By dinnertime, the smells of frying okonomiyaki had wafted from the kitchen, tantalizing the shop's residents. "OoooooOOOOooooooh," Yuuko groaned. "It smells so good… it makes me want to begin eating right now. I guess I would start with my fingers… and then maybe my arms…"

"It's almost done, mistress," Maru and Moro chimed. "Be patient! Be patient!"

"It's done," came Watanuki's voice from the kitchen. "I'll bring it out right away—"

"Hurry…" Mokona groaned, joining Yuuko as she rolled around on the floor. "I won't last much longer…"

Watanuki frowned intensely down at the two prostrate figures. "You guys are so extreme! It's not a matter of life or death… it's right here, so calm down!"

The modern-yaki was excellent, as was the tea and umeshu it was served with. Yuuko sighed with relief as she sipped the last of her tea and poured another glass of umeshu. "It's so good to be alive... and healthy."

Watanuki's face faltered as he watched her drink the glass dry. "Y…yeah. I'm glad you liked it… I was nervous because it was my first time making it—"

Yuuko gave him a sidelong glance. "But that's not the only think you're nervous about."

Watanuki's eyes traveled. "I… don't know what you mean."

"You're afraid of something… worried about something." Yuuko scooted over and lounged next to him. "And I daresay it is something that is not supernatural in nature."

Watanuki put the tray down and clasped his hands together. "I guess I can't play dumb with you, Yuuko-san. But really—I'm not even sure what it is that is bothering me." He laughed a little. "It's probably nothing that important."

"Nothing is unimportant, Watanuki." Yuuko's eyes narrowed as her lips formed a knowing smile. "Whatever it is that is bothering you—just because it isn't about spirits doesn't make it unimportant."

Watanuki shook his head. "It's not that. It's just… I sincerely don't understand why I am so anxious… I feel like…"

"You're missing something?"

"What?" Watanuki gave her an intense, dual-colored look.

Yuuko took another swig of her wine and sighed deeply. "It is about time you realized, Watanuki. Addressing your fears and hopes—it takes a certain type of courage."

_W..what is she talking about_, Watanuki thought weakly. _I don't understand…_

"You'll understand… maybe even tonight." She smiled in her cryptic way. "That sometimes fear is the first step towards importance. Tonight, you should be careful—but not too careful, I suppose." She laughed as he gave her a series of blank stares. "It's almost dark out. You should head back before you become a delicious snack yourself—to those pesky spirits."

"Oh! Right… thank you, Yuuko-san." Watanuki hesitated, but got up after a moment and walked quickly towards his belongings. "I'm sorry I didn't dust the shop today—I'll do it on Monday."

"Don't worry about it, and thank you for your hard work. The delicious snack was a great addition to the evening." Yuuko smiled fondly as she watched him hand the apron to the twins, and then pick up the furoshiki. He held it out to her. "I know they're leftovers… but would you like them? I don't think I can—"

Yuuko waved a hand at him. "Take them with you. You might find that they will come in handy."

* * *

_Again, thanks for reading! Chapter 3 coming up._

_Translations and insiders_

_Okonomiyaki- a fried Japanese batter pancake. It's name means "what you want" or "what you like." Basically, a free for all pancake with whatever the hell you want in it. Usually served with sauce and mayo, although I don't like the mayo very much._

_Modern-yaki- a variation on the okonomiyaki. Basically, a pancake with soba noodles stuffed inside. I've had it once, but I don't remember where I had the chance. It was good, though._

_Yakisoba- a traditional Japanese dish of fried noodles, cabbage, dashi, and ginger. Very popular all around Japan._

_Umeshu- Japanese plum wine. Very sweet and intense in flavor. Ume means plum, and shu is wine._

_copyright mindpaper 2007_


	3. Chapter 3 I assumed you would be there

The Clarity of Assumption

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Chapter 3: I assumed you would be there

* * *

Watanuki passed through the gateway of Yuuko's shop, thinking furiously. What did she mean by "missing something?" Surely she didn't know about Doumeki's absence from school today—but then again, she knew all sorts of things about him that he himself didn't even know. But even if that was what she meant by "missing something," it still didn't make sense. How was he supposed to "be careful, but not too careful?" And she never refused his food—even if it was leftovers.

Doumeki's house was on the way home for him. As he passed by, he peeked around. No one seemed to be home—all the lights were out. Just as he suspected. Probably gone on a trip. How rude of him for not telling Himawari at least—the poor girl was so worried! Let alone telling him. But he could yell at him later for that.

Walking in silence, Watanuki frowned. What else had Yuuko-san told him… oh yeah. "The courage to face his fear." What was THAT supposed to mean? She had also said "tonight." He shivered as he imagined some scary spirit waiting for him at home. Yuuko-san had set up some wards for him—surely those would protect him from those hungry spirits.

He suddenly realized with another shiver that the warm, protected feeling that Doumeki always unconsciously provided for him was not there. But he didn't mind that—the jerk was always getting involved in his business, sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. "It's good that he has a vacation, then…" he said to himself, stopping in the street to get a better grip on the furoshiki. "Maybe he needed the time off."

Watanuki shivered again, and realized that he could see his breath. In the middle of spring? Why was the air so cold? He glanced around, checking for condensation. He could still see his breath, but he didn't see any ice or dew on the grass. What was going on…? He turned to check his tracks, and stopped dead.

A sparkling mountain of ice was bristling where his tracks once were.

Puzzled, he approached it with caution. He reached out and touched the surface of the ice with his right hand. It felt cold, but a different kind of cold than normal ice… he looked up in confusion. Why was it suddenly here? And then, he gasped.

A red eye stared down at him, burrowed deep in the ice.

"S…Shit!" he stammered. He turned and began to run towards his house as fast as he could. He had been careless, thinking about too many things—and now he might possibly be screwed. And there was no one around to help him—Yuuko had been right, as always!

He cursed again as he realized that his feet were moving slower than usual, as if he were wading through really deep water. The cold had entered his feet, and was moving painfully up his legs. After some struggle, he finally had to stop, as his legs were fully impaired and would not budge.

He turned back and saw the red eye, shining in the sparkling block of ice. It was going to have its snack tonight… he cried out in pain as the cold began seeping up his body. It wasn't going to stop—it was going keep going until he was completely frozen. And then the monster would eat him. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about the red eye that was looming over him. If only he had left work a little earlier. If only he had listened to Yuuko about being careful.

If only… if only…someone…!

Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound, followed by a piercing wail. Watanuki's eyes snapped open. The spirit was writing, and there was a glowing column of light emanating from its front. The brightness was intense, and he covered his eyes with his arm. He had seen that light before—many times before. The coldness began receding from his body and legs, and he turned about as best he could to look around him.

Another beam of light shot through the night sky and hit the spirit, this time in its singular red eye. It screeched wildly, flailing about, until it seemed to have lost all of its energy. A crack formed where the beam of light had hit it initially, and then, like magic, the crack spread all the way down its body, shattering it into tiny pieces. Coughing, Watanuki waved the smoke away from his vision and peered carefully into the darkness.

There was someone there. Someone familiar.

"Idiot. What are you doing, walking home alone at this time of night."

Watanuki scowled, but internally breathed a sigh of relief. So he was here after all, that jerk. "Doumeki."

The tall, slender figure emerged from the smoke, carrying his kyudo bow. He was dressed in his traditional gi that he wore around the temple. "You should be more careful next time."

"Well, you're one to talk," Watanuki huffed, getting up and brushing off his uniform. "What are you doing, following me around like some kind of stalker? It's bad enough that you see what I'm doing anyway." He pointed miserably at his right eye. "It's not fair that I can't see what you're doing, too. Then I would have known why you were not at school today."

He waitied for an answer, but none came. Watanuki cocked an eyebrow. "What, you got nothing to say? Not even when Himawari-chan worried so much about you?" He crossed his arms. "You really are very rude."

Still no response. Watanuki dropped his arms and stalked forward. "Doumeki! How dare you not answer me, you big—" he stopped mid sentence and mid step as he got a closer look. His eyes averted, Doumeki was paler than usual, and completely out of breath.

"D…Did you just go for a run, or something? You look tired…"

"No. I'm fine." Doumeki turned around, but swayed a little. "Should have told you about not coming to school today. I.. I was…"

"….sick…" Watanuki breathed in disbelief. "You're sick… aren't you?"

Doumeki stopped staggering away for a moment. Then, as if it made any difference, began to stagger away again.

"H-hey! Stop it, you idiot," Watanuki hissed, running forward. "You'll fall down—"

Catching Doumeki's arm to balance him, he gasped. "You're… you're burning up! You must have the flu… what have you been doing?"

Doumeki tried to resist Watanuki's grip, but failed miserably. "Leave me alone. You should… you should get back to your house, before another one comes to get you." Doumeki voice faltered visibly, and Watanuki's grip tightened. "Stop being stupid. Come on."

He slung Doumeki's arm over his shoulder and began walking. "I'll take you back to the temple. Your family must be very worried about you, leaving the house at a time like this."

Doumeki seemed too tired to answer, so they made their way back to the temple in silence. Watanuki was still in disbelief. Himawari-chan was right… why else would he not have said anything about it? Although the teacher would have known because Doumeki's parents would have called the school—but the teacher hadn't mentioned anything…

They arrived at the temple after quite a while. Watanuki slipped as quietly as he could into the first room. "I'm sorry for intruding…" he whispered softly to the darkness as he dragged Doumeki through the room into the hallway. "Hey, where are your parents? I need to tell them that you're alright."

Doumeki raised his head with effort. "M…moron. You don't need to whisper."

Watanuki glared at him. "Well, I don't want to wake them up just yet! Where is your room?"

"T…they're on a family trip."

Watanuki stopped and stared at Doumeki's face, which looked even paler in the darkness. "W…what?"

"They aren't here. They left two days ago," Doumeki muttered, looking away from him.

"Wha…WHAT?!?!?" Watanuki hollered, and Doumeki winced slightly. "Y…you were sick… AND ALONE?! What were you THINKING?!"

Watanuki stormed back into the main room and looked around frantically. "Of course you're sick! You're probably a lot sicker than you think!!" He spotted a pile of folded blankets and a pillow in the corner of the room. Despite his rage, he gently unhooked Doumeki's arm from around his shoulder and laid him down on the floor. Attacking the bedding, he laid it out as neatly as he could and then moved Doumeki into it.

"Idiot. IDIOT! Stay here. If you don't, I'm going to keep screaming at you until you pass out." Watanuki huffed, getting up. "I'm using your kitchen. And your bathroom. Try to get some rest." He shuffled out of the room, muttering to himself.

Doumeki watched him leave the room, and spotted a colorful furoshiki bag next to the door. It had some bento boxes in it.

"… I wasn't there to eat it…" he muttered, with some regret. "I wonder what he put in there today…"

* * *

_Again, thanks for reading! Chapter 4 to come._

_Translations and Insiders_

_Kyudo- The traditional Japanese martial art of archery. It is a very competitive sport in Japan._

_Gi- a uniform, or a typical outfit. Used in reference to martial arts or temple practices._

_Entering the house- In Japan and Korea, when entering the house you say a customary "I'm home," or "sorry to enter," so as to excuse your rudeness. Likewise, when you leave the house you say "I am leaving," or "Excuse me for leaving before you."_

_Bedding- Doumeki sleeps on the floor in a traditional Japanese (and Korean) way. The Japanese traditionally sleep on the floor, but since Westernization have begun to use beds. Regardless, futons and floor mattresses are much more common due to the limited space in residences._

_copyright mindpaper_


	4. Chapter 4 Clear as night and day

The Clarity of Assumption

* * *

Chapter 4: Clear as night and day

* * *

Watanuki returned to the room a few minutes later, indignantly bearing a tray with some medicine, towels, and warm water in a bowl. Muttering indistinctly, he put the tray down next to Doumeki's head, and wet a towel. "Stupid idiot," he growled, wiping off Doumeki's forehead. "Fever of a thousand degrees, probably hasn't eaten in days. Then shows up like a hero to save the pathetic Watanuki from some stupid spirit. What was he thinking? He wasn't even thinking, I'll bet. Stupid moron." He set the towel down and picked up the bottle of medicine. Spooning some out, he lifted Doumeki's head gently and propped it up with some extra pillows. "Here, stupid. Drink up, before you get worse."

Doumeki drank it, his face remaining impassive. "This… this tastes like crap."

"Well, beggars can't be choosers, you creep." Watanuki spooned out another dose and indicated that he should drink it. "You're the one who didn't take care of himself. So here I am, Watanuki-sama, taking care of you. You should be grateful!"

"It's probably," Doumeki swallowed another spoonful. "…the first time something you've given me tastes bad."

Watanuki stared at him for a minute, and then looked away quickly. "Well, naturally! It's medicine!" he stuttered. He didn't want Doumeki to see him caught off guard. "Try to get some sleep. You probably don't want to eat anything, right?"

Doumeki closed his eyes. "Probably not for a while… I don't think I'll hold it down."

Watanuki got up, screwing the cap onto the medicine bottle. "But you should eat. I'll prepare something that you can handle—but for now, get some sleep. If you don't…" Watanuki made a slapping motion with his hand. "I'll knock you out myself."

"I'd like to see you try…" Doumeki muttered, as Watanuki exploded. "WHAT WAS THAT?! I'll show you! You big idiot!"

But Doumeki was already half asleep. Snarling to himself, Watanuki gathered up the items on the try and stalked from the room—but was sure to close the door quietly behind him.

After a while, the smell of cooking rice wafted from the kitchen. Watanuki wiped his hands on the apron he was wearing. "Done. Porridge… just like mom used to make for me when I was sick." He scowled slightly. "He'd better like it… or else."

Tiptoeing to the door, he opened it a crack. Doumeki was still asleep, but—he seemed to be having difficulty sleeping peacefully. Watanuki slipped in and sat next to him, frowning. The fever seemed pretty bad—a lot worse than before. He wet a towel and wiped Doumeki's forehead. His eyebrows were knotted, and sweat beaded up on his forehead. Yet, he made no sound—just the sound of labored breathing.

Watanuki studied Doumeki's face. This guy tended to have the same facial expression, no matter what. One could never tell what he was thinking. He remembered one time that Doumeki had been sent home due to an injury during gym—some big brawny guy had stepped on his ankle somehow and sprained it. Watanuki remembered the moment it happened, and how he rushed to Doumeki's side to help him. But what he remembered most is that Doumeki's face was unchanged, even though it had to hurt. After even a few minutes, his ankle had swollen to the size of a tennis ball. Yet, he still stared at him with those golden eyes and told him to get lost, or else their team would lose.

_What a jerk_, Watanuki growled in his head.

Then he grinned to himself. But Doumeki's grandfather had also dressed him in a kimono when he was a child. A WOMAN'S kimono. No wonder he was so strong—and so shameless. Something like that had to have been totally traumatizing.

_What a dope_, Watanuki laughed in his head.

He sighed as he turned back to the issue at hand. Bottom line—he couldn't tell how much pain this guy was in, because he refused to show it.

He suddenly noticed that Doumeki's hand was twitching. No, not twitching—gripping. Watanuki studied the blanket that was covering Doumeki. The blanket was wrinkled around his hand—he had probably been gripping it in several places. "Geez," he muttered, smoothing out the blanket as best he could. "At this rate, you'll ruin it…"

He suddenly had an idea. Hesitating slightly, he reached out and gently unhooked Doumeki's fingers from the blanket, and then, let them settle around his own hand. It was warm with fever. "Try this," he said softly, wincing as the fingers closed around his hand in a vice-like grip. "Ooooorgh… maybe not the best idea I've had, but…"

He gripped Doumeki's hand back, steadily. "At least this will give back," he said simply, and suddenly embarrassed, picked up the towel with his other hand and wiped Doumeki's face. "You can't tell me to get lost now, can you? There is no game to win." He scowled. "Tough guy. Mister Macho. I can't believe this."

Doumeki's expression seemed to calm a little bit. After a long silence, Watanuki allowed himself a small smile. "You moron," he said quietly. "The great Watanuki-sama isn't going to leave, so hurry up and get better quick."

So Doumeki kept sleeping, while Watanuki watched.

* * *

Doumeki opened his eyes slowly. He was staring at the roof of his home.

He sat up, and looked around. He put a hand to his head. Nothing. His fever had broken.

Scanning the room, he spotted tray near the head of his bedding. A thermos, a bottle of medicine, and a slip of paper. He leaned forward, picked up the thermos, and opened it. Porridge—it was still warm.

He looked at the piece of paper in his other hand. It was a note. Scrawled on it was a handwriting he remembered seeing before.

_You'd better eat the porridge._

_It was something that would make me feel better when I got sick as a kid._

_Take the medicine as well, one dose every 8 hours. Take one now and one before you go to bed._

_And take it easy, or else I'll come and yell at you until you pass out again._

_-Watanuki-sama_

"…huh," Doumeki grunted, looking at the thermos. "He must have stayed here all night."

He had faint memories of last night—there was lots of yelling, as usual. _But… I couldn't cover my ears to protect myself..._ he thought, rubbing his right ear.

Looking at the thermos, he took a sip gingerly. It was just enough to keep his stomach settled, but tasty enough to make him want to eat it. As usual, it was prepared with a lot of care. Typical of that guy.

Laying back down, he stared at the roof of the room. As his hand squeezed around the note he was holding, he felt the jagged edges of the paper scrape against his skin. Suddenly, he remembered something. A faint memory of warmth… he put his hand in front of his face and studied it. Something that was warm, and constant. He remembered feeling it coursing through his spirit, like a small flame caught on the wind.

He stared at his hand intensely for a moment, and then, covered his eyes with it. "Maybe it's just too early…" he muttered.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Chapter 5 to come.

copyright mindpaper 2007


	5. Chapter 5 Inevitable Change in Wind

The Clarity of Assumption

* * *

Chapter 5: The inevitable change in wind

* * *

Watanuki walked down the path, rubbing his eyes blearily. "Man…" he groaned, "I knew I should have gone home after that moron's fever broke. And now I'm running errands after a night of no sleep." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

He had no choice. Saturdays were the best day for him to run his errands and do his own chores, since he usually worked for Yuuko-san on weekdays, and Sundays were spent finishing up his schoolwork. And… it wasn't like he had anyone to hang around with anyway, so there was no special social time for him. Himawari was always busy with her family and school events. Doumeki, well… like he'd ever ask to hang out with that jerk. Even though it tended to happen anyway, with all of these recent spiritual events that seemed to follow him everywhere.

He looked up at the sky, which was a cerulean blue. Well, at least things were okay now. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't come across that ice spirit on the road, and Doumeki didn't come to help him? That moron would be suffering, alone, at his house, and show up on Monday like nothing happened.

He huffed to himself. Of course, now he'd show up and retort calmly to Watanuki's jeers about how a certain someone would have been a goner if he hadn't shown up in time to save his pathetic ass. Oh, the humanity! Doumeki always seemed to have leverage against him. And he was so damn matter-of-fact about it.

Watanuki stopped making faces alone to himself enough to enter the daisou. He looked around closely, making sure to note the dark haze around certain products in the store. The right eye Doumeki and he shared was special in that it helped him sense the presence of more dormant spirits that tended to live in common items—both helpful and dangerous spirits. Yuuko-san had shown him its significance once in an electronics store, where he found the existence of a Raiju, or lightning god. Thus, he was now always careful to pay special attention to his surroundings.

Although today was especially bad. Watanuki jumped in fear as a garbage can turned to look at him. Every aisle was teeming with spirits that seemed to grab at him as he walked quickly through. What was with today?! Why were they all here, at the same time? Nothing special was happening today… He had never seen such a huge concentration in a store.

"Eegh!" he yelped as a couple kabob-skewers buried themselves into the wall next to him. He took off down the aisle in a full run, dodging a snarling hairnet and a couple of cute hairpins that were trying to clip onto his pants. Okay, that was it. He needed to get out of here.

He left the store with haste, unable to find anything that was not infested with spirits. That could be a problem… but he could just go to the conbini and find something quick before he went home. He started walking briskly towards the corner of the street, but suddenly stumbled. Catching himself by grabbing a sign-pole at the last minute, he looked back irritably at the ground that he had tripped on. There was… nothing there?

Surprised, he straightened, and looked around. Nothing. A few people walking down the street, but nothing special. "That was weird…" he muttered, taking a few steps forward. Again, he stumbled, but this time it was accompanied by a weird feeling. He felt like someone was tugging at something inside of him, telling him something. He suddenly didn't want to shop anymore.

I don't want to shop anymore? But I have to shop… because I won't get to shop during the weekdays.

He shook his head vigorously. "What the hell!" he growled as he took a few more steps forward. "What is wrong with me today?!"

Nothing is wrong. Absolutely nothing. Don't even take another step.

Watanuki dropped his schoolbag. He suddenly felt like doing nothing. What was the point? He could just stand here and do nothing. It would be the most sensible thing to do. He looked indifferently at a bunch of giggling girls, one of which had a vibrant yellow bird perched on her shoulder. Just a bunch of girls. Just stand here, do nothing.

"Ah, Watanuki-kun! What a surprise to see you here!" Himawari separated herself from the gaggle of girls and walked up to him.

He stared at her, and decided to say nothing.

"…Watanuki-kun?" Himawari tilted her head slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" Watanuki droned, still staring straight at her. Himawari's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You seem tired, or drained, or something…"

"Nothing is wrong with me," Watanuki answered immediately, cutting Himawari's response short. "I don't feel a thing."

Himawari opened her mouth to say something, but closed it after a brief pause. Staring intensely into his eyes, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Watanuki. What did you do today? Did something happen?"

Something seemed to click, and suddenly, Watanuki jerked and blinked hard. "…huh? Himawari…chan? I'm sorry, I…" he looked down at the street, rubbing his head. "I was just shopping, so I happened to see you as well, I guess… but for some reason, it didn't occur to me to… notice you."

Himawari smiled. "There you are. I was shocked when you looked me in the eyes so directly—you never do that, you know."

Watanuki frowned. "That's true… but I'm sorry. I should have noticed you immediately—that's so strange. Usually I can't stop myself from greeting you, but today…" he looked at her with confusion. "I just didn't want to."

She smiled back at him. "I'm guessing you didn't get enough sleep or something. It's alright…" she turned to Tanpopo, who was strangely silent. Usually it was more chatty when Watanuki was around. "Say something, Tanpopo. We can forgive Watanuki-kun, right?"

Tanpopo tilted its head slightly, staring straight at Watanuki.

Himawari cleared her throat. "Hm. Well, um… that's a little weird. But Watanuki-kun, let's walk a little—"

"You should just go. I'm done here." Watanuki shrugged and gave her that strange, direct stare again. Himawari was at a loss for words. "W…Watanuki-kun…"

"…should come with me instead," said a melodic, hypnotic voice from nowhere. Himawari jumped a little, and turned to see Yuuko standing directly behind her. "Yuuko-san! I didn't even hear you walk up…"

Yuuko ignored the comment and studied Watanuki's face closely. "It seems Tanpopo knows exactly what's going on here." She turned to Himawari, who looked extremely worried. "Sorry that Watanuki seems… eh… indifferent. He is. But not because he wants to be." She turned back, smiling a little. "Looks like the tables have turned, eh, Watanuki?"

"I don't care," said Watanuki automatically. "I don't feel anything."

"I'm sure you don't," Yuuko smiled gently. Himawari grew more and more confused. What was going on? Watanuki was acting really strange, and rude. He was never rude to Yuuko-san, much less anyone else… well, besides Doumeki-kun, she noted.

"Himawari-chan, you should go," Yuuko said calmly. Mokona and I can take care of things here." The black beanbag of a magical animal popped out of Yuuko's handbag and smiled broadly at Himawari. Yuuko put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Watanuki will be fine with us… eventually."

"E…eventuall—"

"Eventually." Yuuko said firmly. "You really should go, else something happens to you too. And that would make Watanuki very sad."

Himawari looked at the ground in silence for a moment, and then looked up at Yuuko. "I'm just very confused. But... but I think it will be alright with you, Yuuko-san. And please tell Watanuki-kun that… I hope he gets better soon." She added a bright smile to her last statement. Without another word, she turned and walked back to the group of girls, who had been staring curiously at the scene from a distance.

"She is very trusting, that one," Mokona commented, turning to Yuuko. "I hope we can keep our word on this."

Yuuko frowned, and put her hand on Watanuki's arm. "Come, Watanuki. You cannot function like this. You are in too much danger in this state."

With that, Yuuko and Mokona led Watanuki down the street, towards a familiar place. Towards the inevitable smell of incense and antiquated items of deep magic.

* * *

_Chapter 6 to come. Thank you very much for reading! _

_I did notice that this story has received reviews, and thank you everyone for your input. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while—things got pretty busy all of a sudden, but I will be updating more regularly now._

_Translations and Insiders_

_Daisou- a Japanese dollar store_

_Raiju- explained in the story, but a lightning god that Yuuko, Mokona, and Watanuki come across in an electronics store. Watanuki helps to free it and in return, it visits Yuuko and demonstrates its power with a parting gift- a small lightning display. _

_Conbini- the short term for a Japanese Convenience Store. In romaji it would be "Conbiniensu" so for short, Conbini._

_Copyright mindpaper 2007_


	6. Chapter 6 A delicate balance

The Clarity of Assumption

* * *

Chapter 6: A delicate balance

* * *

_Running, running. _

_Keep running._

He turned to look behind him. Spirits. Millions of teeming spirits. Spirits that wanted him. Wanted to eat him like a tasty morsel of human flesh.

_Keep running, or they'll catch you._

He turned back towards the abyss of darkness he faced, feeling abject terror. Feeling completely and utterly alone.

_They will eat you, and then…_

He stumbled, and kept running. He was short of breath, but not only because he was running. He was scared. Scared that…

_They will eat you, and then, you won't exist anymore._

He ran and ran, but he seemed to get nowhere. Something cold and horrible brushed his leg. He flinched with fear.

_They will eat you, and then, you won't exist for them._

He saw a line of black smoke move swiftly through the air. He cried out as it entered his chest, and he felt an icy chill, like cold fingers, wrap themselves eagerly around his heart.

_They will eat you, and then, you won't exist for them. Not for her, or her. And not for him._

He didn't want it. He didn't want this thing inside him. He wanted it out! He struggled with all of his will. No, no, no! It wouldn't get it! That thing, that precious thing…

_You don't belong to only yourself, you know_.

He fell into the darkness, completely exhausted. As the deep, dark coldness seeped into his very soul, he tried to cry out, but nothing would come.

_If I cried out, then someone would come save me. But… I can't. _

_I just can't._

* * *

Doumeki sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard. He gripped the blanket tightly as he looked around him. It was nighttime, sometime around 9pm. Catching his breath, he ran his hand through his hair. A nightmare. He had a nightmare. 

Restless, he got out of bed and slid open the door to the main room. Looking out at the temple grounds, he noticed that things had quieted down for the night. The feeling he had, however—he peered carefully across the pavement and around at the trees, trying to notice something. Nothing moved, nothing stirred. The silence was dark, and the darkness was silent. But he should expect this out of such a pure place. Usually nothing disturbed the aura around here.

He frowned a little more deeply than usual. Still, something just didn't feel right.

He turned, leaning against the door, and remembered something. He had to take medicine. Or Watanuki—suddenly he was reminded of something. Watanuki— there was something he needed to remember about him. Maybe from his dreams, or from last night…? He shook the drowsiness from his head and thought hard.

Oh yeah, the nightmare. It reminded him of that guy. He had been terrified, in pain, and running from a seemingly eternal burden… it had been very vivid. _It must have been some of the things that he experienced while he was running from spirits_, he thought. He thought of Watanuki, running through the street, frightened, alone… his felt his heart clench a little bit. But in the nightmare, he had been unable to call for help. Why was that?

He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. From the feelings he had in the dream, he remembered feeling fear for whomever would come to save him. They would have been in danger too, so it was better that they didn't come to save him. But it wasn't only that.

_It was pride_, Doumeki thought carefully. He wanted to take care of himself. He didn't want any help. He didn't want to be fragile, or show weakness in any way.

Doumeki blinked. That couldn't be right. He didn't have that kind of intense pride. But… that _does _sound like something _that_ guy would do. He touched his right eye. Then, he froze.

Slowly, just as the moon crept across the sky, he began to feel the dawning of realization etch itself into his mind.

That nightmare was not ordinary. That nightmare… did not belong to him.

He turned abruptly and headed immediately for the kitchen. Ignoring the bottle of medicine on the table, he walked directly towards the telephone sitting on the counter. He reached for the receiver, but before he could even touch it, it buzzed.

Rrrring, rrrring.

He picked it up. "…it's you, isn't it?"

The voice drawled into his ear. "Indeed it is."

"What's wrong?"

There was a soft chuckle from the other end. "Doumeki-kun. You already know what's wrong."

"There's something wrong with him, isn't there?" Doumeki leaned forward on the table. "I had a nightmare."

"You had my assistant's nightmare, you mean. Through that eye." One could hear the smile in Yuuko's voice. "I think you'd better come over here. We're almost done with our part—but your part will be more useful to him." There was a pause, and then another chuckle. "And don't forget what you are supposed to do. You don't belong to only yourself, you know."

"… Right. I'm coming now." Doumeki said quickly into the receiver and put it down. He reached forward, plucked the bottle of medicine from the table and took a swig. Turning around abruptly, he grabbed his kimono overcoat and strode out of the temple as fast as his long legs would carry him. Towards that store that had recently appeared.

* * *

Arriving in front of the gate, he ran through the two posts to find Yuuko waiting for him on the front deck. She was wearing an elegant, 3-layered kimono and holding a long pipe. A thin line of purple smoke trailed from it. After studying him for a moment, she smiled. "Good evening, Doumeki-kun. You look like you've… regained your strength." 

Doumeki's face remained impassive. "Thank you. What is going on?"

Yuuko's face turned serious. Doumeki noticed that she looked a little tired. "My assistant seems to have come down with something."

"He's sick.." Doumeki eyes widened. He looked at the ground. "My cold… I must have passed it on to him."

Yuuko tapped her pipe three times on the wooden pillar next to her. "Yes and no." Noting Doumeki's silent confusion, she sighed a little. "Regardless, this is not your direct doing. This is no ordinary sickness."

Doumeki looked a little startled. Yuuko turned her back to him. "It might be easier for you to wrap your head around if you see it for yourself. Follow me if you desire." With that, she glided inside. Doumeki had no choice but to follow.

Mokona, Maru, and Moro sat in the middle of the floor, encircling a pile of paper. Upon closer inspection, Doumeki could make out ancient scripts on the paper. They were wards. After a little while, he noticed that the wards seemed to be arranged in a certain pattern. "What's this for?" he asked, looking at Yuuko.

Yuuko did not return the look, but instead kept her eyes on the pile of wards. "We're using these wards to trap it. Watch closely now."

Suddenly, the pile of wards moved. A black, gooey arm shot out of it, clawing at the air. Then, as if burnt, retreated back into the pile of enchanted paper.

Doumeki looked back at Yuuko. "That was a spirit… But is he under there, too?"

Yuuko returned the look this time. "Yes, he is. And that spirit has taken root in his body." She went back to studying the pile. "It's trying to eat his soul. That would explain your nightmare, wouldn't it?"

"A Mushi," Mokona chimed in. "These things are pretty nasty."

"They are mostly able to see when a being becomes weak," Yuuko took a puff on her pipe. "Spiritually weak. It seems like Watanuki did something that caused his spiritual energy to drain." She paused, giving Doumeki a slow look. "He was really vulnerable when we found him. Something with a lot of spiritual energy is the only thing capable of attracting a mushi this bad."

"… Drained… huh?" Doumeki repeated, thinking hard.

Yuuko smiled at him. "Doumeki-kun. When you were sick, what did Watanuki do?"

"He came over to the temple. He stayed the night, because I was sick." Doumeki shrugged. "I think that is it."

Yuuko leaned closer. "Did he cook anything for you?"

"Yes," Doumeki eyed her closely. "He cooked some porridge for me."

Yuuko was silent for a moment, and then reached out and took Doumeki's hand. Doumeki felt, for a brief instant, a spark of familiarity. Something about the way it felt when another hand touched his…

Suddenly, Yuuko let out a huge sigh. "Ahhhh. I see." She turned his hand over, inspecting the palm. "That's interesting."

"What is?" Doumeki was starting to feel a little irritated. "What's going on?"

"That medicine did you no good," Yuuko chuckled, looking up at his confused, golden stare. "Watanuki was your exorcist for the night."

"… I don't understand." Doumeki said simply.

"Watanuki did the whole rite," Yuuko answered. "A spiritual way of dealing with sickness. He made an offering—" she outlined the shape of the thermos with her fingers—"and when the tainted spirit in you accepted it, he drove the spirit out unconsciously by making contact with you." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Probably by physically touching you in some way. Perhaps… by holding your hand?"

"…….. Holding my…"

"Basically, Watanuki exorcised your sickness using his own spiritual energy," Yuuko chuckled at Doumeki's flustered look. "Leaving him completely drained. That kind of thing usually only happens when a person really means to do it. Haha," Yuuko looked extremely amused. "How strange, Watanuki. How strange."

Maru and Moro chimed in. "How strange, how strange."

Doumeki's mind was blurry. Regardless, he managed to say something. "What can I do to stop this, then?"

Yuuko smiled. "Well… this is as far as my powers go, Doumeki-kun. If I were to try to draw the mushi out myself, Watanuki would have no soul left. I would cause many people to cry." She turned to him. "The only method I can see that would work would be equivalent trade."

Doumeki stared at her, comprehending her statement.

She motioned to the pile of wards. "Soon, that mushi will be completely confined in Watanuki's body. That is when you can help him." She took another puff of her pipe. "It's going to be painful-- for both of you, but… you'll have to take him with you for a night. You'll have to do the same things he did."

Doumeki nodded without hesitation. "His soul will be alright?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "Why, yes. Because it's you, Doumeki-kun."

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 7 to come. 

_Translations and insiders_

_Mushi- the Japanese word for "bug." Used in the XXXHolic manga to refer to those winged spirits that feed on other people's souls._


	7. Chapter 7: Questions

The Clarity of Assumption

Chapter 7: Questions

"When you say that I must do the things that he did," Doumeki paused and watched Yuuko gracefully tap her pipe. "I don't really know what you mean. I was—" He paused again, as if trying to find the right words. "I didn't really know what was going on."

"You were sick, yes." Yuuko stated simply.

"Delirious," Mokona chimed in unhelpfully.

"I already told you what he did to drive out the sickness in you. You only need to exorcise what's confined in him now." Yuuko gave him a _ya-know_ look.

Doumeki gave her a_no-I-don't-know_ _look_. "I can't even see the spirit itself. How will I know how to exorcise it if I can't see it?"

Yuuko puffed her pipe and smiled at him. "It's true that Watanuki has a certain… kinship with spirits. They are very attracted to him—so much that in times of great strength on his part, they will even listen to him." She twirled her pipe and tapped it. "Thus, he was able to push the tainted energy from your body by merely showing his desire to do so."

The pile of wards shifted again. Mokona prodded it with a blessed stick, much like rearranging firewood on a fire that was going out. Yuuko watched with some seriousness. "What your question is, then… is how are you going to do the same thing for him when you can't even sense what's in front of you?"

Doumeki nodded once. "Right."

"You'll sense it, Doumeki-kun." Yuuko poured herself a glass of sake. "You also have an advantage similar to Watanuki's. Out of all people, you should not be worried about a thing like that. Not with a spiritual energy like yours." She took a sip with gusto, and then added more until the alcohol reached the brim. "The spirits, you see—well, you don't see. But if you could see them…" she looked dreamily out into the starless night. "They take one look at you—rather, they feel your presence there and they shake with fear. Something as pure as your spiritual energy is enough to destroy the willpower and composure of even the largest spirits that exist."

The air was thick with thought. Doumeki looked into the red eyes of the time space witch. He could tell that she was telling the truth, and found it mystifying that although she talked of things he could not see, it did not bother him in the slightest. It was something he simply found himself accepting as fact.

"So, I guess," Yuuko grinned. "My answer is that you don't have to do anything except stay with him. Sounds easy, right?" She smiled, but it seemed a little sad this time. "I mentioned that it will be painful. Unfortunately, I do mean it." She took a pull at her pipe. "But that hasn't stopped you two before."

"Sorry, excuse me?" A voice rang out in the darkness. Both of them turned to see a brightly colored bird perch on the wood floor of the deck. Himawari followed, approaching them gingerly. "I hope I didn't disturb anything."

"Ah, Himawari-chan, welcome," Yuuko greeted her graciously. "You came for Watanuki's sake? He will be happy to know that."

"Is he alright? What exactly is wrong with him?" She said worriedly. "He was very much not himself this afternoon."

Doumeki gave Yuuko a semi-questioning look. Yuuko smiled and took Himawari's hand. "He was possessed by a spirit. It made him feel nothing, and in return he exuded no emotion. Which is very unlike him, so it was no wonder that you were shocked at his actions."

Himawari looked shocked. Yuuko continued. "Things started to attract to him right after he finished taking care of Doumeki-kun. He was probably seeing a lot of spirits during his errands. At some point during the day, probably right when he saw you, Himawari-chan, the mushi attached itself to him." Her face darkened a little. "Because of his lack of energy at the time, it got in pretty deep. And it started its dirty work immediately."

"I see… but you found him just in time, then." Himawari smiled sadly. "If I had tried to take him anywhere he probably would have—"

"Your bad luck has nothing to do with this," Yuuko reassured her. "Don't worry. It was not of your doing."

"It was mine." Doumeki said baldly. Himawari looked at him sharply, puzzled, but noticed the subtle signs of guilt in his expression. "It was because I was sick and he took care of me."

"Ah." Himawari said simply. She and Yuuko exchanged knowing looks. "I see. So…"

Doumeki stared at them._What the hell was that about?_

"Well at any rate," Yuuko smiled again, grasping Himawari's hand. "You'll be relieved to know that he's going to be fine."

"Right," Himawari said with new confidence. She smiled at Doumeki. "I know he'll be fine."

Doumeki watched them exchange looks again and frowned a little more. Maru, Moro, and Mokona watched him watching them with some amusement.

* * *

It was simply very dark. Everywhere.

Watanuki sat down with a resolve to wait. He had been in this place before. A place that was dark, full of nothing. He had been here many times, in fact. In many different stages of his life. In distress. Near-death. Searching. Waiting. Hoping… but different things also always brought him back. Spirits. Haruka Doumeki. Dreams. Visions of his late parents. Guides to the underworld. A ribbon. A strong hand.

He never knew what to think. Whether he was in a dream, or if he was really within an alternate realm of existence. Regardless, he always knew that something was here to address him. To visit him.. to tell him something, or to show him something.

He looked down at his clothing. His elementary school clothes. He was a young child again. Somehow, he knew who would visit him.

"My dear Kimihiro," came a female voice from the inky darkness. It was scented with concern and love. "What are you doing wandering this part of the realm? You should not be here." A male voice followed soon after. "Has something been troubling you?"

"Mother and Father…" Watanuki murmured in the darkness. "I didn't mean to come here. I think something must have happened to me."

"Haruka had mentioned something of the sort," Watanuki's father answered, his voice deep with regret. "Something involving the sudden illness of his own grandchild, Shizuka."

Watanuki twitched a little at hearing Doumeki's first name. "He was ill, but only for a couple of days. Do…" he hesitated for a moment. "Do you know if he's alright? I kind of left him alone…"

His voice trailed off into silence. "He is alright," his mother answered softly, "but only in one aspect. You will find him soon enough to know for yourself."

Watanuki sighed inwardly. Why couldn't things just be simple for once?

"You are about to endure great hardship again, Kimihiro," his father's voice suddenly cut through the silence. "A great hardship, but you will bear much fruit in return."

"Everything that happens has a purpose, my love," his mother assured him, noting his confusion. "Especially to you. You are a very special boy. No matter what strangeness occurs, or what you think must be unbelievable, you must not question your destiny."

A set of arms reached out and grasped his own. Gently. With the utmost care.

"A very special boy," his father echoed. "So…"

_Don't disappear_.

* * *

Watanuki opened his eyes slowly. He felt weak. The world was rocking back and forth, slightly. Where was he?

He tried to reach for his glasses, but found that his arms were limp. He felt comfortable, but in a very strange way. He was leaning against something solid, but warm. He opened his eyes wider. He could make out blurry shapes passing across his vision—a lamppost. A fence. A mailbox. All of which were very familiar.

He suddenly realized, as he began to hear footsteps, where he was. His first urge was to jump away in an extremely over-the-top fashion, but he lacked the energy. His parents' voices rang in his ears. He tried to shake them away.

_Don't question… don't resist_…

"Doumeki...?"

"What." Answered the familiar voice.

"I knew it was you. Where are you taking me?"

"To my place." Watanuki felt the grip on his legs tighten. "Stop talking, fool. You're going to pass out again."

"I think I'd rather pass out than be conscious for this…" Watanuki groaned weakly.

Doumeki scoffed a little."We're almost there. Don't puke on me."

"You… jerk…" Watanuki managed before losing his energy completely. He slumped involuntarily, resting his head on Doumeki's broad shoulder. _How pathetic_… he thought. _But at least…_ he shivered inwardly, remembering his haunted dreams. His dreams of loneliness, emptiness.

_At least here… I know that I'll be safe._

* * *

Sorry for the long hiatus. I was doing something involving that awkward thing known as real life, so I'll be updating more often now, hopefully.

Thanks so much for reading. Chapter 8 to come.


	8. Chapter 8: Clarity

The Clarity of Assumption

Chapter 8: Clarity

Doumeki found that his steps quickened on their own. There was no doubt about it—something was at work here. Something quite terrible. He could feel it gathering behind him in the slight frame slumped against his back.. It was tumultuous evil—an energy that he found quite familiar nowadays.

As he walked up the stone pathway to the temple, he felt a shift in the energy manifested behind him. No doubt caused by the purity of this place. Alarmed, he glanced at the pale face propped on his shoulder—it was whiter than usual, but expressionless. Yuuko had somehow managed to encase the energy into Watanuki's body—but what was he to do, then? How could he fix it? He wasn't exactly an exorcist… and even if he managed to exorcise the spirit somehow—he didn't know what that would do to its host while leaving.

Entering through the sliding door, he strode into an inner room. The bed he had used through the weekend was still laid out. He gently eased Watanuki onto the spread. Reaching for a lantern, he lit it and set it down on the corner sitting table. He held his breath for a second, and let it out slowly, watching the shadows dance around the room from the firelight. He remembered the shopkeeper's words.

What would this person do right now?

He would get angry at him for no reason. And then he would get some tea.

Doumeki got up and walked softly towards the kitchen. Something felt right about it—like his very movements were harmonious with what he was trying to achieve. He chose a simple teapot, scooped out some green tea leaves, and steeped them in hot well water. He brought the whole ensemble back on a tray, setting it down next to Watanuki's head.

Watanuki's right eye opened slightly, the golden color illuminated in the firelight. "I—I'm not thirsty…"

"You need to drink this," Doumeki stated, pouring some into an earthenware cup. "That person told me to do everything you did when you took care of me."

Watanuki made some sort of a protesting noise. "W..what.." he spluttered weakly. "She…she said that?" Doumeki stopped pouring temporarily, his face a little more inquisitive than not. "Yes. Why?"

Looking away, Watanuki seemed hesitant. "Well… Yuuko-san might have been messing with you or something… but…" his confusion changed to resignation. "When does she ever mess with you…"

"So then, what is the problem?" Doumeki continued pouring, his face expressionless once more.

"Y…n…none of your business," Watanuki stuttered. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't even lift his head without becoming dizzy. He felt something strange within his chest—it was like a pulse, or a throbbing ache that was becoming more and more restless as time passed. "H…how are you feeling, then? I sort of… left you at the temple… alone…"

"I'm fine. When I woke up, I felt completely normal again." Doumeki turned, cup of tea in hand. "Can you lift your head?"

"Not really… GEH?!" Watanuki tensed sharply as Doumeki reached for his face and pulled his glasses off. Setting them down, he then reached for the pillow Watanuki's head was resting on. "N..Nonono, I can do it… just…" He tried to lift his head again, with a will born of desperation. But it didn't seem to work—he was too weak. "Ugh…" he groaned, feeling a wave of dizziness engulf him.

"You idiot." Doumeki supported the back of the pillow with his hand and lifted it gently. Watanuki looked utterly terrified. "This…this… I… GRF!!" He recoiled in shock as he realized that the cup was already at his mouth, and the tea going down his throat.

Doumeki turned away, setting the cup down on the tray, Turning back to a choking Watanuki, he frowned slightly. "You need to swallow it. Don't you know how to drink tea?"

"You JERK, how was I supposed to know you were going to do that?!" Watanuki gritted, trying to suppress his coughing. "You're the WORST!" He watched as Doumeki picked up the tray and moved it to the corner table. He could feel the hot tea in his system, warming his insides. Admittedly, it felt good against the cold throbbing in his chest, but… what a moron. The nerve of him.

"So what else did you do?"

"Huh?" Watanuki glared at the expressionless face beside him. "What do you mean, jerk? You mean besides burning your throat and nearly choking you to death?"

"Yeah. Besides the porridge. What else did you do to take care of me?"

"Well…" Watanuki felt the color rising a little in his face. "I… jeez, I don't know. I sat around…" He seemed to be struggling for words. Doumeki repeated him. "You just sat around?"

"You had a fever, alright?!" His eyes screwed shut, Watanuki put a hand up to his face, covering his eyes. "So I… I brought it down with some water… and I don't remember anything else."

Doumeki frowned. "Really?" He looked down at his own hands. A memory flickered in his mind, briefly… that warmth, running through his body, through his mind. "I remember something…"

Watanuki was silent. Doumeki looked up after a minute. "I don't remember exactly, but… hey." He straightened up, startled. Watanuki's breaths were shorter, and his expression was strained. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"….." Watanuki seemed to want to answer, but the shallow breathing continued. Doumeki drew in a sharp breath himself. The energy was collecting…. He could feel it. The shadows dancing in the room had stilled, and the room was motionless. It was as if time had stopped moving altogether.

He reached a hand towards Watanuki's face. Hesitating slightly, he touched his cheek. His skin was like ice. "Shit," he breathed. "Hey! Can you hear me?"

"…yeah…" Watanuki managed. "S…stop yelling, I'm… I'm fine…" His body jerked a little, like it was resisting something.

Doumeki looked around desperately. What was he supposed to do?! There was something obviously going on in Watanuki's body, but how was he supposed to… His mind raced, looking for an answer. What did that person say to him? That he'd have to do everything that he did. That he made an offering… and that he took his sickness by… The shopkeeper's mysterious smile hovered irrepressibly in his mind.

…_like holding your hand, perhaps?_

He suddenly had an idea. Reaching out, he touched Watanuki's outstretched hand. He drew a sharp breath, shocked. It was like he was walking on hot coals. The pain spread through his arm like wildfire. He flinched slightly.

Then as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. He eyes snapped open. Looking down, he realized that Watanuki was watching him. He had snatched his hand away. "What do you think you're doing, you moron?" he gritted angrily at Doumeki. He seemed sincerely upset.

Doumeki suddenly realized what he had to do. "Give me your hand."

Watanuki stared at him, and then looked away. "It… it hurts, doesn't it?"

"That doesn't matter. Come on." Impatiently, Doumeki reached out and took his hand. He braced himself for the strange feeling that had come before. But…

"… what?" he stared at his hand, holding Watanuki's. No pain. No sensation. Nothing.

Watanuki was still looking away. "L…let go of my hand, you jerk."

"I feel nothing." Doumeki said, appalled. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Let go."

Doumeki gave him an intense look. He couldn't possibly be in control of this… could he?

"You did something. Something that won't let me get to the spirit."

Watanuki looked at him, his eyes narrowed. "It's not your job to babysit me. You don't have to do anything. So I don't have to do anything either—"

"I think I know what I'm supposed to do," Doumeki interrupted, leaning forward, causing Watanuki to retreat slightly. "You have to let me through, or else…"

"Or else what," Watanuki retorted coldly. "I'll fight it off myself, and you can just leave me alone. Who knows what it'll do to you—it's best to just let it stay in m—"

Doumeki's brows furrowed. "You don't know that. How are you supposed to fight it off if its inside you?"

"Who cares? Maybe it's better if it stays inside—that way it can't get back out—"

"Shut up." Doumeki growled, and Watanuki stopped, a little taken aback. They sat in silence, like two gusts of wind, tangled and messy. Deep in thought, Doumeki stared down at his hand gripping Watanuki's.

"I can't make you do anything," he said, after a while. Watanuki gave him a searing sideways glance.

"…Damn straight you can't."

"But I can ask you to do this for me," he continued, looking up to face Watanuki. "And I'm asking you to let me."

"W…w…" Watanuki attempted to respond, but couldn't find a response suitable enough. He couldn't seem to focus on anything other than the golden haze Doumeki's eyes were casting on the room. "I… I'm not— I'm fin--"

"Don't lie," said Doumeki, calmly, looking directly into his eyes. Watanuki began to feel panic welling up inside him. He averted his gaze.

_Don't do this…._ Watanuki screamed in his head. _Don't do this. I can't hold up if you do it like this… Stop looking at me like that…_

"I want to be here. So…" Doumeki's grip tightened. His voice was strong, but his words were vulnerable. "Let me."

Watanuki eyed him wildly, frightened. Doumeki stared back, unfazed. _I know you want to, but I don't want you to,_ thought Watanuki, agonizingly. _Why can't you leave me alone… I can't protect you from this if you don't… I don't know what will happen… what if…you…_

Suddenly, Watanuki broke his gaze, grimacing. He cried out and jerked involuntarily as a fresh wave of pain crawled through his chest. He gripped the blanket beside him, and the hand entwined in his. Doumeki's returning grip was firm.

"No…" Watanuki whispered, struggling for breath. "It'll hurt you… too…" He looked up at Doumeki. He looked so angry—no… so upset.

"…please." Doumeki said, his voice a low murmur.

Slowly, Watanuki closed his eyes, remembering. Remembering the words of his parents. Remembering the words of the Jorogumo. Remembering the words of Yuuko-san.

_You don't belong to just yourself, you know._

_So let me help you._

"You're making this harder for me, you know… you jerk."

Doumeki felt Watanuki's grip tighten, and felt the waves of pain emanating from Watanuki creep up his arm into his own body. It felt like he might burn to death.

He sighed inwardly, in relief.

"…I know."

* * *

Yuuko sat in silence, puffing her pipe. Mokona stood at its usual spot on her shoulder. Watching the smoke curl around her fingers and the elegant table decorations in front of her, Yuuko let out a heavy sigh.

Mokona tilted his velveteen head slightly. "Are they getting rid of the spirit now?"

"Most likely," Yuuko replied. Her expression was multi-faceted: frustration, sadness, fear, fondness. "Doumeki has figured it out, undoubtedly."

"Then… they will be alright?" Mokona asked, with concern.

"Yes, they will be…" said Yuuko, simply. "But the question is—can I survive the night knowing that those two children are suffering so?"

"…Yuuko…" Mokona said, nuzzling her cheek.

"… We just have to believe in their strength," she said, with a sad smile. "When they are together—they can do anything. But…" Her smile faded slightly as she tapped her pipe into the tray on the table in front of her. "I cannot help but worry…"

Mokona leaped from her shoulder onto the table, crossing his small arms in defiance. "Then we'll worry together."

Yuuko smiled again, this time with radiance. "All right. I'm counting on you, Mokona."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading. Chapter 9 to come.

Reflections by the author:

I have to say that I am surprised that there are readers of this story, let alone people that actually want to read more of what I have to say about these characters. All I can really say is that I am grateful that there are people out there that care about this manga and the relationships between these characters. I am also grateful that people are giving my story a chance. So… thank you! Thank you to all of you.

I am also very apologetic at the terrible timing of my updates. Life stinks in that way—you can't do everything you want all at once. In an ideal world, this could happen. Thanks for your patience.

mindpaper


	9. Chapter 9: Fear

The Clarity of Assumption

Chapter 9: On being courageous

* * *

The night was gloomy, and the moon was yellow. There was a dark aura that seemed to settle around the temple—flowing thickly around each door and crevice, infiltrating every little corner and space. The light from the lantern in the small room that opened to the yard flickered gamely with each passing minute. It would not give up. Not to this darkness.

But Watanuki felt like he might be losing it a little bit.

What was this. He was delirious, yes, but he still couldn't understand. He was lying on the floorbed of the room. He couldn't see past a few feet in front of him. There was a coldness that started in his chest and seemed to emanate outwards to every point in his body. It had started 4 hours ago, in the evening. He had felt like he might die from the pain. But ironically, it was less than it had been initially. Because of a person, that person, sitting beside him, holding his hand. He had been in many strange situations before, but this one was worse. This one was terrible.

A fresh wave of pain washed over him. Even though it was stronger than the last, it felt much less potent than it might have before. But he hardly even noticed it. He only felt the iron grip tighten in his hand, and felt a fresh wave of something different. Fear. Guilt. Helplessness. This was worse than before. No… it was much worse than before. At least before, he could try to survive this on his own.

"Hey… I… I take it back," he muttered, avoiding eye contact when Doumeki raised his head sharply. "L… let go of me..."

Doumeki sighed. This was Watanuki's third attempt to block off the contact since he had started sharing the pain with him, and he had only been with him for 3 hours. Watanuki had quickly discovered that once he let Doumeki in, he lost the ability to control the flow. Thus… the only thing that could break it was loss of physical contact. Doumeki's eyes narrowed a bit.

"Shut up."

"But!! You jerk, you don't even know," Watanuki cried out hysterically. "I can't stand this. I can't stand it at all… this is the worst—" he trailed off, trying to catch his breath. The pain seemed to urge him on, getting worse as he got more upset. "I can't tell… I don't know how much you're feeling!!" He tried feebly to wring his hand out of Doumeki's. It was hopeless—the grip was too tight.

"That's too bad," Doumeki replied sternly. "Stop squirming around. And stop talking."

Watanuki took a deep breath and focused all of his energy on the flow of pain. _Stop_, he thought, desperately. _Stop flowing. Stay in this body, not that one_.

But it seemed out of his hands. The flow was swift, and seemed to disappear right at the join of their hands. He couldn't tell if it was just as intense for that guy as it was for himself, but he didn't want to keep this up to find out. _Why the hell did I allow this in the first place?!_ he thought angrily to himself. _I can't believe I was such a weakling_.

He stole a glance at Doumeki. His eyes were closed and his brows were slightly furrowed. Actually, he didn't look any different from his usual self. How aggravating. He must be in a lot of pain.

Suddnely he looked familiar, though—what was it? Watanuki tried to search his memory. He had seen that expression many times before while he was doing something… something important… Oh, he remembered. It looked the same as the moment at which he is about to shoot an arrow, when his bow was fully drawn, and he was at complete concentration. He had seen that look many times, while watching him compete at Kyudo tournaments—and that time he had shot the ghost in the park. An new pang of guilt jabbed him in the gut.

"…how bad is it?"

Doumeki's eyes opened lazily. "… are you going to try to let go again?"

Watanuki's eyes flashed. "I would have, had I the chance!"

Doumeki closed his eyes again. "Then I have nothing to say."

Gritting his teeth, Watanuki tried to control his rage. No, it was more like frustration. What could he do?! He couldn't undo what he had done. He couldn't talk him out of it. Cursing his own stupidity, he tried again to squirm out of Doumeki's grip. But something inside of him kept calling out to him, softly.

_Don't be afraid. Don't run away._

_But I am afraid_, he thought miserably. _I know I am. I don't have it in me to let this continue. I'm afraid…_

_Of what?_ The inner voice asked.

_I'm afraid of what this will do to him_. Watanuki felt crazier each minute, talking to himself. _I'm afraid of more trouble for him, for everyone…_

_But remember what Yuuko said_, the voice responded. _She said that you needed to be courageous._

_How is letting this happen courageous?!_ Watanuki wanted to yell. _This is just trouble. It would be better if I could take this myself and I wasn't so stupid—_

_Better for them, or for you?_

It was always the same thing… Watanuki reasoned, angrily. It was always because he was running away from the possibilities. How could he help it? He was a portent, an attractor of disaster. For his friends… for that guy. He couldn't let that happen without fighting.

He felt vulnerable, mixed up. He tossed and turned for a while longer before he realized Doumeki was staring at him. "What now?"

"It's nothing…" he fought for words to say. "You wouldn't…"

Doumeki's eyes narrowed. Watanuki shrank a little.

"I wouldn't what. Understand?" His tone was quiet, dangerous. "I think it might be the other way around." His grip tightened even more. "You were the one that made this choice. You decided to honor my request. You can't run away now."

Watanuki was frightened, but his pride didn't allow him to show it. "Yeah… but it wasn't much of a choice," he managed. "I didn't know how much this would—"

"You knew full well how much this would affect me," Doumeki's eyes were a golden haze of anger. "The reason you let it happen was because I asked you to let it happen."

Watanuki hid his fear the only way he knew how—defiance. "Well, I obviously… I obviously made the wrong decision. And I am asking you to let go. Now!"

"Don't be weak!" Doumeki roared. Watanuki flinched. "That decision was made by your resolve! Has your past experience taught you nothing?!"

"It's taught me everything I know!!" Watanuki yelled back. "Which is why I'm thinking now that this is truly not worth it!!"

Doumeki was silent. Watanuki's eyes were closed tightly, his body shaking. The coldness in him was gouging at him uncontrollably. The pain was unbearable. But more than that, he was angry, vulnerable, miserable. Why the hell was this worth it? He knew everything that Doumeki had said was true-- He had learned the lesson of self-value during the incident with the Zashiki-Warashi and the Jorogumo. Countless times while talking to Yuuko-san, and while being with Himawari-chan. But for all he knew, this could be his last spiritual encounter—and he'd be taking that jerk along with him.

And even if it was cowardly of him, he couldn't let that happen. Even if the world was not real and if people ceased to exist, he couldn't let it happen. If that was all he knew, he knew that much at least.

Suddenly, as quickly as the coldness had intensified, it changed. There was something else—it was warm, but not burning and painful. It was… white, was all Watanuki could think to describe it. It was like a slow warmth, seeping into his body. The coldness in his chest remained, recoiling and tumultuous. However, there was something irresistible about the warmth. It was pure and true, like spring water.

Watanuki opened his eyes. Was this… from him?

He realized that Doumeki had stopped looking at him. He was looking at their hands, entwined together. After a long silence, Doumeki looked up at him. "I guess then… now you know how I feel. No… more like how I felt."

Watanuki was surprised by his words. "What… what are you talking about?"

Doumeki was resolute; calm. "I know how you feel. I understand, because that is how I felt when you showed up to school with one eye."

Watanuki felt a slight chill. He remembered that day. He had felt at fault for the spider's curse on Doumeki's eye, and in exchange, gave his eye to the spider so that Doumeki's would recover. But when he showed up to school with a patch over one eye, Doumeki had pushed him against the wall in response. Never had he seen Doumeki that angry, and that emotional.

"You weren't thinking about what would happen if you did that," Doumeki said simply. "You were only thinking, 'how will I restore his eye?' and it was a decision you made." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But that's the only thing you were thinking. You weren't thinking about anyone's feelings but your own. Even though you probably knew that everyone would worry about you."

Watanuki sighed. Another lecture about the same goddamn thing. "I was aware of what people would think, yeah. But I didn't care."

Doumeki continued. "You were selfish to think that you could do that without consequences. You only thought of yourself and what you wanted-- even though it was because you didn't want me to suffer, it was still a selfish decision."

Watanuki opened his mouth to speak, and closed it. Doumeki looked down at their hands again. "I guess this is the same. Except now I'm the one being selfish."

His grip tightened. Watanuki's mind whirled. The same feeling. The lightheadedness, the pounding of the heart. The uplifting of the soul. Like a great weight was removed from his being. Like a warm fire flowing through his cold body. No. Please, no. Don't do this. Don't say these words. Don't do this to me.

"I should also understand that it is hard for you, like it was hard for me. And I'm sorry for that."

There was a long silence. Watanuki felt slightly giddy, and the warmth in his body increased slightly. The coldness howled furiously in his chest, but he hardly noticed. He felt awake, aware of the heavy darkness outside, aware of the movement of the spirits around him and around the world. But everything felt still, like time had stopped for a moment. Like when Yuuko-san cast spells, or the split second when a spirit materialized for the first time.

He didn't know what was happening. Something Yuuko-san had said suddenly began to resonate strongly within his mind. You need the courage… to face your fears. What was he afraid of, exactly? Something was rising to the surface, some emotion that he was tired of resisting. He felt delirious and not in his right mind, yes. But at the same time, this feeling was as clear as day.

"No…I'm….the one who should be sorry."

Doumeki looked up again, startled.

"I'm sorry. For… for this, and for everything." Watanuki's grip was the one that tightened this time. "I am always only causing you trouble, and pain. I know for sure that it's because I'm the way I am," he paused, his voice shaking. "I don't know how to stop being the way I am except to stop existing—but Yuuko-san and Himawari-chan… and you… are always saying that I need to value myself. I… I can't do that easily. I can't deal with something like this." He motioned a circle, indicating the situation. "It's too hard to find value in myself if all I do is cause suffering."

Doumeki was silent. Watanuki blinked, and felt tears run down his face and drop to the blanket under his head. "I don't know how to stop it. I can't seem to find a way to live peacefully." He closed his eyes, trying to control himself. "Without making everyone around me take my burdens."

He paused, and then continued. "I guess… in a way, I don't want to assume that people will be alright with that suffering. You all have told me, countless times, that you want to help me. But I don't want to assume that you will. I just don't want to."

Embarrassed, he looked up, his eyes full of tears. Doumeki gazed down at him. He was a tall tree—gentle, unmoving. The anger was gone, but his eyes still bore a golden intensity. You have to assume that, they said. You have to assume that I will be here for you.

Their gazes locked. For a moment, they were alone, together, standing in a field of white. Doumeki's golden stare. His outstretched hand. _I will be here for you,_ he said silently. _So you have to do the same._

Watanuki looked down at his own hands, clenched into fists. So much fear. He began to reach out to the inviting hand, waiting patiently for him. Those golden eyes still fixed upon his own.

_But… what if I ruin everything again?_

His gaze dropped, and his hand with it. Doumeki remained, his hand still outstretched, as Watanuki faded out of the field.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who was patient enough to deal with my long hiatuses. Final chapter up next.

~mindpaper


	10. Chapter 10: Knowing

The Clarity of Assumption

Chapter 10, finale: Knowing

* * *

Watanuki snapped back to reality as he felt the coldness in his chest rise in victory. It was seizing its chance while the host was vulnerable. It screamed in his body, ricocheting through every bone and muscle, and attacked. He gasped, grabbing his chest with his free hand. Doumeki quickly leaned closer. "What's happening?"

"I don't know… ugh," Watanuki cried out, his body jerking. "Agh… it's attacking…"

Doumeki looked down at their hands in consternation. The fire in his own body felt the same. "How come I can't feel it attacking?!" he muttered desperately. "I don't feel anything!"

His heart wrenched as Watanuki cried out again, clutching his hand with both hands. This was the last leg of the mushi—if it had to leave, it was trying to clean out the soul it inhabited. "You have to fight it," Doumeki gritted. "It's trying to wipe you out."

Watanuki suffered in silence, only gasping now and then as the pain hit him. Doumeki could feel the heart beating against the narrow chest, gamely resisting the mushi's aggression. His mind was a blur. _What could he do? What would his grandfather do? What would that lady do?_ He felt his mind reaching into the crevices of his heritage, of his foundation as a child. _Maybe if he read a rite._

He grabbed the book on the small table next to the floorbed. In the light of the flickering lantern, he turned to the page that he knew so well since his childhood. Chanting softly, he looked up every now and then to check on Watanuki. The passage seemed to cause the mushi to resist more ferociously. No… it wasn't strong enough. He had to clear it out all at once, and do it fast.

Suddenly Watanuki seemed to relax, physically. Doumeki noticed an instant change—his face muscles were relaxed, and his breathing was lighter. Maybe the mushi had given up? Perhaps the rite was stronger than he thought. However when he leaned in for a closer look… there was something wrong.

"Hey." He touched the cold face. There was no response. "Hey! … shit." He cursed as he realized what had happened. It had gotten in. It was now making its way into Watanuki's delicious soul, and would consume it, leaving behind a lifeless shell of a person. "Stop!!!" he yelled into the pale face. No response. There was nothing left to hear him shout—the mushi was too far gone into his being.

Doumeki looked around wildly. No incantations, no slips of paper… he couldn't do anything. Nothing could get to the spirit in time. It was probably already within and had started eating. He felt a whirl of emotions. "No…. wake up. Wake up!! Fight it… fight it!!" He yelled helplessly, squeezing his hand, shaking his shoulder. No response.

Everything had erased from his mind. The face of that lady looming in, smiling at him. Himawari's gentle smile. His grandfather's knowing grin. All he saw was the calm face in front of him. He smoothed down the tousled hair, traced the fine lines of his face. The panicked resolve rose in his mind as he felt the coolness of his skin. He didn't know what to do reach him. But he couldn't let him go. Not yet—not ever.

"Watanuki," he murmured. "I know you're still there." He leaned down slowly, touching forehead to forehead. "Listen. I… I will be here for you when you come back."

He lifted his head, and looked down at the small face, cradled in his long fingers. He took a deep breath.

_So come back_.

They were in the field again, the warm wind gusting around them both. He was still reaching out towards the dark figure before him. Only this time, there was a distinct shadow framing the small body, grasping his shoulders, seeping heavily out into the atmosphere. The mushi.

Watanuki looked up. The beast on his shoulder snarled and dug its claws deeper into his shoulder. He did not seem to notice, however. He locked eyes with Doumeki.

"I can hear you," Watanuki said simply. "I can always hear you. Even though you and I both know how much trouble I've caused you, you still persist and reach out."

Doumeki could taste the freshness of the wind, which began to blow harshly at the mushi. It began to disintegrate, screaming and clawing at its host. Watanuki did not even flinch.

"So do you," Doumeki answered, and took a step forward. "You don't really ever judge me, even though you pretend to. And I can be difficult."

"But we both know that, and we know that even though it's hard, we will never be alone." Watanuki's face was calm, content. He took a step forward.

It's so clear.

Doumeki took another step forward, and felt something pure and strong kindling in his body, something stronger than he had ever felt before. He felt that with this, he could drive out anything that he faced, anything that he wanted. It was a power so great that it could barely contain itself. Looking up at Watanuki's blue and gold eyes, he knew that he felt the same power surging through his veins.

He steeped forward and grasped Watanuki's outstretched hand. It was warm and full of life. Watanuki returned his grip, closing his eyes.

The mushi screamed one last, agonizing scream, and disintegrated completely into the whiteness of the atmosphere.

* * *

Doumeki felt the warmth of his body seep into Watanuki's, felt the slight frame underneath him flare with a sudden life. He snapped back to earth, to the small room with the flickering light, anxiously watching over them both. He watched Watanuki's breathing become even, and his body begin to move. He would live.

Without a moment of hesitation, he leaned down and touched his lips to Watanuki's. Feeling the warmth of his breath and the softness of his lips, he lingered there, gently. He felt only a slight hesitation before Watanuki opened up in response. Through the light of the lantern and the coolness of the night, they shared one connection== one moment of souls and fingers entwined. The moment seemed to last forever.

Watanuki's hand reached up and smoothed down Doumeki's touseled hair, tracing his ear and his jawbone. His cheeks were flushed—he looked a little embarrassed. But somehow, this time, not embarrassed enough to pull away.

"What are you doing, you jerk," he murmured, letting his hand fall. Doumeki grasped it gently and raised it to his face.

"It's just as much your fault as it is mine."

"…I know."

* * *

Yuuko sighed, leaning back onto intricately decorated pillows. "They did it. It's gone, it's done."

Mokona plopped down beside her on the couch, huffing in a satisfied manner. "Yes, they did."

Noticing the absence of smoke curling from her pipe, the time witch began to add her scented leaves to the ashy bowl. "They did very well. All a result of my training, of course."

Mokona scoffed. "And by training, you mean all the housework you made Watanuki do, and all the sake you drank with Doumeki."

"All is part and partial," Yuuko remarked sagely, looking up at the brightly colored bird perched on the tea shelf. It chirruped, seemingly and out of place in the dark, smoky room. "Go on, then," Yuuko smiled, waving a long hand at it. "Return to your master. Tell her all is well."

Mokona slid the door open and the bird flow out in a soaring arc, twittering in happiness. He watched it fly out into the distance, disappearing through the gate. "It must have been really hard, though. They were always fighting that part of them."

Yuuko frowned slightly, tapping her pipe. "And you talk as if they will not continue fighting it." Mokona tilted his head, curious. "No?"

"If there's one thing you know about those two, it is that they will take their sweet time finding a dynamic that is harmonious," Yuuko grinned. "But luckily their feelings are so strong, it is only inevitable that they find peace with it. Besides," Yuuko paused, tracing the rim of her sake cup with one finger. "They are so much more fun this way."

Mokona smiled brightly. "Yeah, you're right. Himawari might be disappointed if they stopped arguing."

Yuuko's expression was gentle. "As would I."

Together, they watched the moon, still and silent, watching over the house and its inhabitants. It was the same moon watching over the two young souls, sleeping peacefully in the small outer room of the temple.

It was a clear night.

* * *

Thank you to all readers and patient followers of the story. As always, I am grateful that you stuck with the story and read it to its end. I am happy that there are supporters of this pairing and I hope that we all continue to follow the example of friendship that they show.

I am encouraged by readers' support to continue with my other stories and ideas. Thank you again.

Until next time,

~mindpaper


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